Self-Inventories...Arghhh!!
Ok, folks. This weeks topic is...you guessed it, Self-Inventories. Wow, is that a cheap alternative? And, as an extra added bonus, it's more work for the store employees. But that's probably the tip of the iceberg because this company robs from Peter to pay Paul, meaning wherever they lose ground with one expenditure, they take it away somewhere else, and that somewhere else is in labor dollars. They take from that pool constantly, sort of like corporations are used to doing to pension funds, health care and many other once 'iron clad' benefits. When you see a company constantly hurting their own employees it's time to hit the exit. It is a real shame that company's have to make their profits unethically (I will never use the term illegally here against Tuesday Morning because nothing that I've seen or heard borders on the illegal) and resort to 'News Media Propaganda' such as the statement that there is no "employee relations problems" (seemingly timed during the rise in popularity of this blog and egoinc) and the pep talk given by Kathleen Mason trying to sound like Tuesday Morning actually has a vision for the future. She states she's going after the affluent crowd then quotes someone who's excited about the clearance aisle. I've met those clearance aisle shoppers...they're the ones tearing up the store for items selling for pennies on the dollar of their once 'true' price. Wake up America...your being taken for a ride by 'corporate types' who went to college to learn how to successfully part you with your hard earned cash. PT Barnum said it well..."There's a sucker born every minute!" Get over this compulsion to buy something and let's fix this crap!!!
Ok, gang, your homework assignment this week is to comment about your Self-Inventory experiences but I would also like you to list your top five gripes about Tuesday Morning...you know, those things that make you stress out while you are at work.
Also, if you are hoping to go back through the archives to look up an old comment or blog entry, they limit me to 75 entries. It's a shame losing all those gems, although I've got them all on my hard drive. EgoInc entries started on April 15th, 2003 and this blog on June 13th of 2004. And we didn't even have a First Anniversary Party. I've got a better idea, why don't we start a new Political Party centered around our 'Labor' party (meaning all of us). Just a thought, and no, I don't want to be in politics...my ethical values are too high and I haven't been to law school (yes, those two were put together in the same sentence for that reason...synonymous).
Until next time...Adios, Amigos.
posted by Ed @ 12:02 AM
39 Comments:
Boy, have I not only HEARD some recent horrible "self inventory" stories, I have one of my own. Our's took days, to prep, you know you have to COUNT it once and then do the "real" count. Duh! It's a HUGE "Time waster" let me tell you that much right up front. We all laughed every time we would fine one of those "yellow Regis inventory" tags from the last inventory tucked away where we hadn't found it before in some merchandise, or a shelf. Because this was the lamest ideal ever. Right.....use your cheap "slave labor" to do the inventory, instead of calling in the professional company that could have done it in a few hours compared to our "Days upon DAYS" of counting, and counting, and counting, until we would nearly fall asleep, and were aching from climbing and sitting on hard floors. It was grueling. Then, here's the best part.....we find out there has only been like a .25% actual increase in "accuracy" you have got to be kidding us!!!!! We went through all that for only .25??? That nearly killed us. We had virtually NO "down time" during this shut down because of all the stinking prep work and then the inventory that took days.....there was no way anystore did the entire inventory all in one single day..they made us use our "in store scanners" that we use for trucks and scan days ahead of the actual inventory date. So we were doing this for days and days. Then the minute and I mean the minute, that inventory is over....we along with other stores we've heard of in our area, have been SLAMMED by monster truck shipments. TONS of stuff. Well, that is great, especially since we had no rest, then we are overwhelmed with stock as it is, finally get our store semi-cleaned, and now we have to shove all new stock onto the shelves. It's all the stores we have heard from too. They are doing this to all of them, across the nation. All the Manager's we have heard from are freaking out. You should hear the calls we are getting from them. We didn't get our dirty floors cleaned professionally, go figure, and we have also heard that the "re-model" stores that were told in the begining, that they had until Aug. 2nd to finish their re-models. That has all now changed and they now were told they HAVE to open instead this Monday!!!! That's a fun, part time, job huh??? Good luck, to all the Manager's in this same kind of predictament. We feel sorry for you, because we've been there and have done that and are still doing that too. Some of us had this VERY same thing happen to us. Other's of us are in that same boat with a hole in it right now, and other stores, have never finished their re-models, some are part brown shelfing and metal, and part of the store is the new updated colors. Confussion.
All this and massive truck loads to boot. Who could ask for more pressure in a workplace???
This company is money hungry, and is PROVING to everyone, that is is way, way, out of order.
P.S.......their last quarter sales stunk. You can find that on any finacial site, down 4%.
Why do you think the old lawn and garden stuff is going BACK up in price, (when we closed the store it was at 50% off) now i's going back up to 30%? AND the "new" 404 mardowns are only going to 25% instead of the normal, 30%? They are in some kind of trouble.
WE have all figured this out.
1.We don't have money for payroll
2.Our employees are happy with the hours given.
3.Our inventory will be finish in one day.
It has been said that if you repeat a lie a thousand times it becomes the truth. In my heart, I know beyond question that if you repeat a lie a thousand times or a million times, it will never be the truth.
My top 5 are: by Management
1. Lunch break is not respected
2. Days off either
3. Time to go home when we are finish inventory ???
4. Next day same thing, people want to escape or come up with an excuse not to do inventory for another day
5. Killing our backs and hands and (we do not get hurt at TM!) This is in our imagination!!RIGHT
Keep them coming !
I quit just in time...I didn't want to go through that hell again. The Jan. inventories nearly killed me. I helped at a bunch of them...stupid me. Not any more. I am now working for a company that doesn't put people through that much stress...Oh, yeah, they do not even save money on those things. Check out your P&L YTD and you will see what I am talking about. For everyone who is still there, I'm sorry. But there is life after TM, you just have to start looking.
People kept trying to "get out" of doing our inventory too. It was hellish. People would call in sick, say they were "going on vacation," and basically not even show up. We had "heard" that one crew of employees, made up of various stores was to go around to all the stores in the State, and basically do the inventories...... well, that never manifested. So we all had to do them ourselves. It was interesting how these Managers, from other stores came to "help" and to oversee the inventory......they didn't do JACK!! Only one that came to our store helped. The other's goofed off all day. As usual. I'm sure this is how they Manage their stores too. By not doing anything at all. Looks about right from what we saw and experienced.
Here's a Top FIVE for you:
1. DISORGANIZATION at the highest levels.... Flowing down to the rest of us. We never know what to expect day to day. It's like an "E.R." setting in our stores.
2. "We have No payroll" or just as fun, "Our payroll has been 'cut' for this week" We love those "Templates" Keep'em coming boys! Right....and we believe you on this. Wink! Wink!
3.Dirty stores...phew! GET us out of there. It's a dungeon.Batman's Cave, looks nicer than most of the stores.
4.Trucks, with way, way, too many boxes, coming in on which day? Oh....we never know from week to week. That's fun to make a schedule around, oh, and don't forget to add in extra PAYROLL for unloading that truck and then for putting out the goods. It's chaos.
5. Corporate Officials, that make WAY too much money, when their employees make way below normal pay standards, for what they are doing.That, my friends, is "Highway robbery."
1.Messed up stores, that have only been open three days.
2.Old Cash registers, that clank, when they print out a reciept that is 5 miles long.
3.Static, of a voice, coming out of the outdated microphone systems that T.M. stores use to page Managers, to do "over rides, returns," or many other Managerial things. Who uses Microphones anymore except a Carnival?
It's pretty freaky sounding in retail stores in this day and age.
4. Old, outdated, and scraggly, red aprons, that are the employee's "uniform." Scary.
5. Newer red aprons, that say in bright yellow ink: "Sign up for E-Treasures." Walking human bulletin boards. Priceless.
So is over the inventory and;
1.My mind still tired
2.My body still hurts
3.My thoughts are dreaming about another place to work
4.My fingers are numb because the boxes never stopped comming
5.Who will hire me if I ever get a day off and I am so tired that on the interview I may fall asle...p.
5 Reasons:
1.Mean/Lazy Managers, who have their other Managers or keyholders) do all of their work.
2.Red aprons, that are very dirty, (who is supposed to wash them?)and ripped, that we must wear daily, when other retail stores have updated their employees outfits to smocks or some kind of vests.
3.Dirty stores, constantly cleaning up them dirty stores and then they are dirty the next day again.
4. Trucks that are always coming and always hard.
5.When our hours get cut, we need our hours, when they are cut there is suffering.
There is such a confussion with the customers, they thought, because of that big RED opening sign on the store front doors, that there was to be the "Big Event" sale when when the stores opened this past Monday. But there wasn't. It's not until the 2nd of August. This is very confussing to customers. The sign does read that way.
These soft openings are causing this.
This is WHY T.Morning is loosing it's edge, in the Marketing way. They "used" to really close down. And often. That intrigued people. Which made them "want to come in" but they couldn't. It's the old "you can't have it, so then you WANT it" principal. So now that the stores are open all the time no one wants to shop, like they used to. Yes, there are still customers, but it's not the same. There isn't the "RUSH" there used to be. These are causual lookers. Sometimes, buyers.Some are addicted "regulars" that work nearby and have no where else to go for lunch break.
The "Big Green Card Day Opening" has LOST it's "Mystique" like it once had. Why wait to buy things that AREN'T even on sale.....when you can get them down the road now, and they are possibly even cheaper in most cases. Tuesday Morning, prices HAVE gone up. This is said over and over. The stores are messy, and people have to WAIT, because there are never enough clerks, or registers open. The customers are Americans and don't want to wait and they want things CLEAN, can you blame them? They are cultured to this. This isn't a third world nation. They want DISCOUNT, but with all the perks too.
We wait on nothing in this country, unless your a tourist at Disney World. Think about it.
This is why the BIG SALES, aren't hitting the expected figures. The people in the P.R. Department at T.M. need to rethink their marketing strategies. I used to go on those big sale days. Everyone did. Nowdays, there may only be 5-6 people waiting in line. OR LESS. It depends on what they are "Waiting" to buy that sale.
But why wait now? There is no need to.You can find it elsewhere and it's not wrapped up in white paper on the shelving, that says it's not for sale until a certain date. That really ticks people off. People want it now. If your going to do a "Once a month Sale" do it. Then you need to mark it that way. And give your people time to set it up accordingly. This is too much to expect of your clerks. This and numerous other things by what we read, and hear. This hurts your company when you don't treat your own people fairly, employees are good shoppers too. Don't forget that. Calculate how many work at your stores, just to spend their entire paychecks there.I bet it is a lot of them. It's natural that people buy things with their paychecks (when they work retail) from the stores they work at. Shouldn't they be treated better. You loose them, you loose a customer, and possibly for life. Not counting all the people, family, friends, associates, they "tell" about how you practice "business." Someone needs to tweek that problem now.
*This weeks top 5 since opening up*
1. Endless truck/shipping/loading problems. Huge count "overages" the manifests are way off, no one can explain why.We aren't allowed to complain, plus we hear big changes are about to take place in the truck recieving areas.
2.Low payroll, and tons on the agenda to do, with no extra employees, what are we magicians?
3.Customers are ripping the stores apart like wild beasts. Why do they do this? No one knows, but we know this we can't keep up with the mess, te recovery hell, and do everything else we have to accomplish. Markdowns, freight, recovery, customer service, you name it.
4.Our Managers are on the edge. Our Managers are overloaded. Our Managers are burned out from little to no shutdown time. They're hoping they get their vacations soon so they can rest before the big Fall/Christmas seasons.
5.Way too much Christmas product has arrived. Starting in mid to early May. It was out before we closed. Now there are lots of units of it. Customers are complaining about it all being on display already.
Why does this have to start so early? Do they need the $$$ so badly that they have to grasp Christmas sales in July?
Monday starts a new week. Greencard is around the corner.
The next flyer (for aug 2) stinks so don't expect to be too busy that day. It's the same old, same old, stuff. The customers are already squawking about this, again. We get tired of hearing it because we can't do a thing about it. We aren't the buyers. Who are? They need some new merchandising tips.People want some fresh things in these flyers. Not the towels, suitcases, coffeepots, and sheets every flyer. Sheets are showcased on the front page. We never have those in stock huh? Come on. Help us somebody, were dying out here trying to "make sales."
Give us something to work with.
Top 5 List for E:
#1. Obsessed women shoppers who over buy stuff in these stores. For example:(not joking here) One chick bought $300.00 worth of decorative pillows for their couch, then brought them ALL back days later, "because they didn't look good." YES, Ed, is right, these people are "obsessed" we see it everyday.They buy their brains out, then return it all. Big Daddy gets mad at them so then they have to bring it all back. Kills our sales ladies.
#2. Woman? Men? whoever it is that must tear into all the sheets packages, even though they have security tags on them. No bother, they rip the plastic outsides then.
#3.People who are calling the store even now, asking "are you open yet?" No, we aren't really open we just sound open with that register clanging in the background. This really isn't their faults you know. They didn't know we did the early opening thing. Whose fault is that?
#4.Wondering how we are going to do this "new" Green Card setup. We aren't allowed to "wrap" shelves on the floors anymore with things on them for the ads. There is no room to maneuver and no room to flow stock onto shelves, we are to roll those racks everywhere? All the stores everywhere can't move anything right now can this be done?
#5. When the Managers hand us those display sheets they send us off the computers with photos from the model stores in Dallas, telling us how our endcap displays should look now. We've become so professional, but still write everything down by hand when it comes to returns on those long log sheets like it's the Stone Age. People hate that, we hate that. It takes forever and they don't want to give all that info and their zip code, and sign up for e-treaures all within a matter of seconds. Too much stuff. Can we get a new program in the computers to make this go faster or something?
FYI this customers buy this stuff just for show off for a special occations and even use the sheets and they buy the towels just for display at their expensive bathrooms and the comforters the same thing. Days later my husband didn't like it.same lame excuse. The merchandise comes with human stuff on them.WOW! I am a witness!
I am not sure if labor had something to do with this but:
last week I saw a segment on TV about Their Go The Bride and one TM manager was one of them her name was Curtney the purpose was to lose weight before the weeding. She was one of 5. She went thru hell with her diet her boyfriend had to be taken to the Hospital emergency room and she could not keep any diet or trainer. Finnaly she ended up gaining the little weight she lost and gain even more for the weeding. She never mention TM as part of the stress she was going thru but I guess YES because she had to go to this work outs and I guess was not easy for her with the kaos at her store with all the remodels , inventories and labor cuts. I was thinking maybe if I she said something about the real stress reason she may be fired on the spot.The other 4 brides lost the weight except her.I wish her luck!! poor thing.
Undue "stress" has been proven to not only make you sick, and cause various serious health problems. But it also can make you gain weight. I bet she was stressed. Funny I just thought about this last week too, because of having noticed overweight Managers. Maybe this girl on the TV show can get a new husband, then a new "fun" job. Working at T.M. as a Manager won't be good on her marriage at all. Lot's of stress, every day, all day. This place is a nonstop, 24/7 adrenalin rush, you never get a break from the hecticness. IF things were better organized,at the top it might help us down below, but probably not, everything changes daily. Then you can't even count on that happening. Plus these people lie like dogs. They say this but it's really that. You don't know what to think. So the stress ain't ever leaving I guess if you contineu to work at Tuesday Morning.
You are so right about the stress. I did put on weight. I am stressed. The newest thing is something that happened to me yesterday. I had a day off. Do you beleive that one. I went out to lunch with my cousin. She loves to shop in Home Goods. I have never been in one. I said okay. The store was very clean. No mess. NO OVERHEAD INVENTORY.
Here is the point. I felt a feeling of anxiety, of dread, of being in danger. I did not mention this to my cousin. I continued in the store. Looks alot like a TM only very, very, clean and the rugs are hug up. WOW! Then it happened. They called for a manager to the front. I stood in my tracts. I felt as if I could not get any air. My cousin saw my face go pale. I had to leave the store. I am now thinking POST TRAMATIC STRESS. OH God I hope not. They have done enough to me, or I have let them. It is the same feeling I get when my Regional comes because I know I, we will be abused. I am thinking besides physical injures
now mental ones are going to happen. This is one bad place to work. Stay if nothing bothers you and you can deal with all bad ways to run a store and deal with people. Run if you are a human being with a work ethic towards fellow workers and your work. Their unorganized way to carry on in business will get you injured
one way or another.
My top 5 labor complains:
1.No lunch break respected
2.No bathroom break respected
3.In my case I lost weight because I could not eat well.
4.I would walk around with my lunch in my hand and a customer will detect I was an employee and ask for stuff even after knowing I had something in my hand and expect service from you because not enough people to help in the store.
5.Go home hungry again.
Reading all this stuff sucks. It's so depressing. I wish things were better, but they aren't. Welcome to Corporate America. But if we take it from them, we make ourselves the victims. We can't do it. Either we stand up for our rights, or be victimized. I can related to all that has been said above. We all shake our heads and wonder when does this end? It only ends if we say it ends. They can't call the shots if we leave, but that is WHAT they are counting on. They want "new blood" it's been talked about. We all know it. So we take it or we leave it.
Which is wrong because we like the people we work with, and the jobs we do for the most part, we just don't like the people we work "for." Don't worry, they ARE trying to get rid of us. The memos are out there. We've seen them and have heard the "talk" from those in charge. They want "cheaper more productive" people put in there. They want to get RID of the older ones that have faithfully been with the company for years and make over $6.50 an hour. That's you and me. So stay tuned. There may be a civil action law suit yet. We have proof to help us in that event. They have all these reasons to "replace" people...but they will never hold up in court. This is wrong what they are attempting to do. So yes, talk about stress, it's everywhere at Tuesday Morning. And why is this? Is it because this is a "discount store" no, it's because the people are the top are GREEDY. That's why there is no payroll, that's why the stores are very dusty and dirty and disarraiged . Some of us wish we had millions of dollars of stock to sell off to hold us while we look for new jobs.
A while back we had our brand new Zone Manager coming to inspect our store.He came in on a brand new convertible, small and gray. He was in this company for less than 3 months and he could afford all this stuff. The thing about this is that he took a place of a woman and this other older woman never was able to afford this kind of stuff. My point... new blood Zone managers and males = higher pay to keep this abuse because they are getting paid to do it.Ok so employees with 6.50 an hour? Oh my god!!!this means everybody.In my store we have people that is making $8.00 and more because worked many years for this company.Ok, lets start quitting now!!! or maybe wait until you get fired and then they will make a dummy story that you did something wrong so they will use a store policy so you cannot collect unemployment either. Ok so be good until the end. Or get a better job now.
Averages wages in our store is around $7.00 and same reason, people who have been with the company for many, years. It's so stupid. The new ones come in at minimum, or near that. They have no work ethics, and don't work well, plus, they have to be trained, this takes time. They are an investment, that fails in most cases. It takes forever for them to move up the payscale too. By then they leave because the work is so hard, and not worth the pay. They can make more at say Walmart, or fast food places even, but most are hired at better locations than that. The endurance levels have to be high when you work at T.M. because it is very stressful, and the work is hard. Today preparing for Greencard, we worked like mules in the store. It's not easy work for low pay. The plan is to get cheaper people, "new blood" that's a correct statement. We have heard this more than once. The new Manager's and Regionals do make more than the outgoing ones did. We have seen and heard this too. So how can that be done? It's not fair. Corporate does want these new "men" in these ranking positions. Men can do more (hard work) than the women, is the thought. The women get hurt more often they think, because of the work load being so tough, yes women do have to lift over 50 pounds and MORE, because those boxes are heavier than 50 pounds most of the time, so clear the fenales out and bring in men. Wonder if they will take Mason, out and put a "man" in her place?
"Cheaper, more productive, maybe?"
Where's Ed?
We need Ed but we also need many more people to step up and let their voice known. People are starting to talk about the way the men are treated vs the woman. This is something that needs to come out. I can't believe it took so long for someone to bring up this topic. The two bullies who were hired to clean out a certain area certianly did just that. They just would not stop the pounding day after day. Nothing was ever right for these two. How could all our stores have done so
well all these years without
them? We did! Now there are many injured who can't work and
hard working dedicated women out of USE Day M. These two could never even shine the shoes of these women that they abused.
In response to what the other two anonymous writers wrote earlier, I can't believe that the Men vs Women workers subject hasn't came up higher either. We all see it. Now it's getting bigger and bigger. There are instances where three stores we know of went from women managers to men. Why? Because they can't get the women to either stay, or yes, they get hurt, and so uppper management opt for men. PLUS they pay the men more. This is common knowledge but no one ever complains about it and if they did, who would they complain to? It's sexist and not fair. No one is taking this issue seriously enough to do anything about it or else they think they can't do anything about it like all the other things talked about on this site. All complaints fall on deaf ears, and if your Regional is a man, who can you talk to? They probably make more than women Regionals too. "Use" day morning, sets it's own rules for how and who to pay what. The make it up as they go it looks like. They should use one standard for everyone. Incidents of women making less than the men come up all the time, plus the women work just as hard if not harder, we find the men are lazier and do not care about the appearance of the stores like the women do, and they don't interact with the employees or care about them like the women managers do. IS this what Tues Morning is changing over to? This is what we are seeing. Never before did you see so many men Managers. If you haven't guessed, I am a woman and the woman workers have noticed this happening, and are upset by it but can't say anything about it These woman have carried these stores for years, now only to be pushed aside.
Beware! Becareful!
They fire people now for blogging.
Read on....
http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-06-14-worker-blogs-usat_x.htm
In reply to the last comment:
Remember this comment made by management on Ego Inc!
I don't know why they are saying these horrible horrible things about Tuesday Morning. We adhere to the highest standards and our only fault is highering all these stupid lazy dim-whitted fucking moronic assholes that can't do their fucking job and just love to bitch and whine about how it's everyone else's fault but their own.
Sincerely,
Lauren B.
Posted by: Lauren B on May 20, 2004 11:59 AM
What another threat we should be afraid of? That's right! Fear is the only way USE dsay Morning knows how to manage people. As far as Lauren B. goes, we know and that is what you really are and always will be. Have fun looking at yourself in the mirror, if you can. Better have a large mirror.
Going back to unfair treatment between women and men workers:
We had lazy guys and even after complaining to the manager about their lazy behavior like opening the boxes sitting down or going to the bathroom to use the cell phones to call girlfriends she did nothing. Our assistant manager got injured and because she was doing this guys work because the manager wanted the warehouse empty in record time she(the assistant manager) got injured and then the manager denied her injuries were related to TM. I am so ashame to work with this woman and the way she lied like this to cover her ?. We could not help her on her WC case because we were afraid of losing our jobs.I will not say names because is too late to help her on her case but this is proff to you all that this is really happening.Women hurt because some people are not doing their job and others get hurt because of them.Then TM becomes blind to everything that is happening.
That was not Lauren Bacall, that women doesn't know a thing aboutand doesn't give a crap about what happens at Tesday "userday"Morning. She just does bad commericals for them and collects her check. Most people in the year 2005 don't even know who she is. We hardly do, if it wasn't for someone telling us who she was on those posters. So what is that persons point? Can't they just be real and express what they think from their own standpoint, or do they have to hide behind that fake Lauren Bacall image? More Fakes. Just like Tue. Morning.
To all of you!
DOES THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR!
We can all join in and end the abuse!
THEY DID!!!
Copied from this web site:
http://www.lieffcabraser.com/current_cases.htm
Wal-Mart Employment Practices
Introduction
Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel represent separate classes of hourly wage earners at Wal-Mart in the States of Washington and New York who allegedly have been forced to work "off-the-clock" (without pay). The plaintiffs are current and former Wal-Mart employees who allege that Wal-Mart has violated state wage and hour laws.
Wal-Mart's Alleged Misconduct
The lawsuits in New York and Washington charge that Wal-Mart, the self-proclaimed fastest growing and largest private employer in the United States, has systematically avoided paying employees their full, earned wages. Wal-Mart provides perverse incentives for managers to lower overhead costs, the largest component of which is employee payroll, by offering financial compensation and bonuses.
Managers subsequently under-staff projects and Wal-Mart stores in general. These efforts force employees to work off-the-clock and through lunch and rest breaks. Managers pressure employees to complete assignments, while refusing to permit employees to stay on-the-clock for the full amount of time it takes to accomplish their duties.
The class action lawsuits include specific allegations that Wal-Mart:
understaffs its stores and pressures employees to complete assignments while refusing to permit employees to stay on-the-clock for the time it takes to accomplish them;
denies pay for time worked off-the-clock, through meal or rest breaks, and overtime; and
keeps employees locked in Wal-Mart stores after closing and requires that they remain there after clocking out until store managers have visited every department.
New York and Washington Investigation
We are actively investigating Wal-Mart's practices in New York and Washington in order to present further evidence to the courts in these cases. It is important for us to convince the courts to protect all Wal-Mart employees in these states by treating the cases as class action lawsuits. Therefore, we would like to hear from current or former Wal-Mart employees in New York or Washington about your experiences at Wal-Mart. Please click here to contact Lieff Cabraser.
Experiences of Name Plaintiff Maria Gamble
One of the class representatives in the New York lawsuit, Maria Gamble of Suffolk County, New York, claims that while she worked at Wal-Mart as a customer service manager, Wal-Mart supervisors locked her in the store with her co-employees after the store closed when all employees were "off-the-clock." Ms. Gamble described her experiences at Wal-Mart:
"When I worked at Wal-Mart, we were routinely expected to work at times when we were not paid. The worst part of this was we were locked-in to the store at night. Every week, I worked at least one shift that went from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. When the store closed at the end of my shift, the manager or the person closing the store would lock the exterior doors but the hourly employees like me would have to remain in the store and restock merchandise and count out the cash registers, even though we had already clocked off and were not getting paid. The tasks we had to do after the store closed always took at least an hour-and-a-half, and often two hours. The doors weren't unlocked until the work was completed. There were other ways in which I wasn't paid for time I was working, as well, such as mandatory attendance at unpaid meetings, and times I had to work through lunch and breaks."
Damages Sought
The lawsuits seek back pay for each hour employees were required to work, including overtime, for which they were not paid. The cases in New York and Washington are brought on behalf of current and former employees in Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores in these respective states that have been underpaid and overworked by the national retailer.
Update
In October 2004, the court in Washington granted class certification to a class of approximately 40,000 current and former Wal-Mart employees.
About Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
Founded in 1972, Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP is a fifty-five attorney law firm with offices in San Francisco, California, New York, New York, Washington, DC and Nashville, Tennessee. We represent plaintiffs in federal and state courts across America in employment and discrimination cases. Over the past decade, we participated in some of the most important civil trials and settlements in the United States, including the case on behalf of commercial fishermen and local businesses against Exxon for the Exxon Valdez oil disaster and the 1998 landmark $206 billion settlement between 46 states and the tobacco industry.
Lieff Cabraser practices in federal district courts throughout the United States and in state courts where we are licensed to practice. In states in which Lieff Cabraser attorneys are not licensed to practice, we have affiliations with local counsel who serve as co-counsel with our firm.
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This website is sponsored by Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, a national plaintiffs' law firm, and is not affiliated in any way with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
80 year old, Lauren Bacall, would not cuss like that, besides she thinks Tom Cruise, is idiot, and disapproves of his behavior. She stated this all in an interview this week. So what would she think of Tuesd. Morning, if she only knew the TRUTH and their nasty doings to their employees. I don't think she would like it or aprove of it. We could write her and tell her.
any Green Card news reports?
The flyer stunk, all the items were of course "repeats" of things we have had earlier, like only a few short months ago, and then the every month standards, sheets, towels, luggage, you name it. All the customers were after were those silk drapes and they were crazy over them. Of course....true to the T.M. "norm" there were not enough of them to go around, and they were mad. This is so typical of this place. What are these buyers thinking of. They could have made MILLIONS if they would have had more of those silk drapes. Instead, we have all this other stuff leftover that we will have forever until it gets markdown big time because people are sick of the same old stuff every flyer.
I had always "hoped" that at least someone from Corporat was reading the things spoken out about on this site. I think we all hoped they would, so that we could get some help, and some kind of response since we can't seem to get it any other way, especially at the risk of loosing our jobs. But it doesn't seem that any of our comments have helped at all or made any type of change in their minds in Dallas. They must know the unhappiness of their employees. They HAVE to know. Many of us do talk to other officials trying to get help and answers. And still nothing changes. That is why some of us have not looked for other jobs, thinking things could change if we stayed a little longer. It's such a hassel to look for another job. Everyone is now doing this though. I guess everyone is seeing that they are not willing to change in the least little bit to better the lives of their employees. Maybe in the Corporate offices, but not in the stores. We see this week in and week out when they continue to CUT payroll and send more boxes (is it me or do they greatly increase these truck loads?)and continue to ask more and more of us and the managers get chewed out when they can't fullfill these weekly and sometimes daily requirements pressured on them, which then makes them pressure those under them. This isn't working. Can't anyone in Dallas see that the numbers ARE down, the sales are down, the employees are down and leaving in droves, the customers aren't happy, always complaining about the condition of the stores and no available help to get down that lamp they want that is up so high because there is no room anywhere below to put it. We in store employees see it every time we work in the store. It's not fun at all. Where did that ideal come from? I thought when I took this job, it would be fun, in the begining I think it was, the trucks have always been hard, but everything is hard now, the pressure is so increased. Now this job is just a dredge and I have to get out. This isn't living anymore, it's slavery. For what they pay us and what they require us to do, yes it is slavery.
If someone at corporate is really reading this is to look for names to find out who to fire. Is easy to fire the ones that are speaking out or getting hurt many times so they don't look too bad. Now I can see the light and see that this is what they doing one at the time, you will be fired even if you think your turn will never come. Is not worth it. Get out now before you get hurt and they will find a way to mess up your WC claim. Nobody in America believe us because this people are manipulating the system so you look like a lier in front of a hearing officer and a judge. You will be surprise! they are ready even before you are hurt to make your claim a lost from the beginning. Get out now!My zone manager( acted like a friend) let me down I told him the truth and he did nothing for me I guess that day I signed my death sentence with TM.
This message is for the people that work at corporate and the insurance comp.and the ones that make our lifes miserable when we are hurt at work and file a real WC case their is a law that you are breaking :
MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972
As Amended
SEC. 71-3-69. Penalty for misrepresentation.
Any person who willfully makes any false or misleading statement or representation for the purpose of obtaining or wrongfully withholding any benefit or payment under this chapter is guilty of a felony and on conviction thereof may be punished by a fine of not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or double the value of the fraud, whichever is greater, or by imprisonment not to exceed three (3) years, or by both fine and imprisonment.
NEW RULES ON TEXAS WC GOING IN EFFECT IN SEP 2005; READ BEFORE YOU GET HURT. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=4075
Everyone should leave comments on the Yahoo! TUES Stock Message Board. Let the world know not to buy TM stock.
It makes me sick to think about the way I worked for this company, the passion and had the hours that I put over my 45 plus sometimes 70 hours in a week , working on my days off to finish setting up green card, working even when I was in pain. Now that I am out of the job, sick and at home nobody believe me, no work, no money and all is denied to me. What stupid I was to do all this for this people that never cared. Now I am waiting to have a surgery performed to go back to be normal again some day and try to get a job .I don't know who will hire me?
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